The Traveller
by maripaz6
Summary: After six lonely years apart, Chihiro and Haku attempt to find each other.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1** : **It's a Long, Long Way**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away and I do not make any money from this. All rights belong to Studio Ghibli._

Chihiro lay sprawled in an airplane seat, heartily bored, wishing with all her might that her father had not been promoted. She wished he had not decided to move, and that she was not leaving everything — and everyone — that she loved behind. With a sigh, she pressed her cheek against the window, leaning into the thick plastic. The clouds called, thick and fluffy, for her to fly freely with them, as she had done before with Haku. It was her father's fault that she could never dream of doing so again. But as much as she hated him for uprooting her life, he was still her father, and she would act strong for him. She knew how much this promotion meant to him — besides, she was no longer a spoiled 10 year old.

But either way, the move was soul-crushing and patently unfair. She had searched the woods, frantically at first, for the entrance to the Spirit World. Then, at least, she hadn't needed to escape, she had just wanted the reassurance that her spirit friends were nearby. And when her 12-year-old self had realized the impossibility of finding the one statue amidst the thousands of trees, she had begun to methodically comb the woods. Now, giving a little shiver in the cold confines of the plane, she took out her map — that meticulous sketch of the woods — and Chihiro let out a muffled cry and crumpled the paper mercilessly. She had been _so close._ Only two or three months away from having covered _the entire woods_ by foot. So close to finding her way back — finding her way home. But then her parents had made her abandon her quest. They could never understand. And although Chihiro couldn't completely understand why there was such a divide between them, she understood it was one which she could not bridge.

Well, at least she was free from her old life. No one would know who she was, here in the United States. No one would look at her in pity, and then in contempt as they remembered the girl from years ago, hysterically protesting that she did have friends — spirit friends. No one would whisper behind her back about "that crazy girl — what's her name? Chihiro." It had been as if everyone had known, subconsciously, that something was different about her, that something warned them to stay away. The whole school had turned against her. She was different to the rest — an outcast, as it were, and hated by her own people. Desperate, she had tried to find the Spirit World, and it had become her sanctuary, a way to escape the hatred that had surrounded her. But now, one way or another, she was leaving everything behind her. She was free from her past, but it had cost her a possibly happy future.

The Spirit World had been her motivation now for the past 6 years. What would she do now, without the familiar drive which had compelled her to complete her homework and behave well, all in order to tromp through the woods? Shaking away her sorrow, Chihiro took out her class work. The fact she was moving to the United States did not change the fact that, at the age of 16, she was only 2 years away from graduation and college. And now, especially since her return to the Spirit World was out of question, she might as well apply herself. There was no way out of this situation she would have to make do with what she had. She had a clean sheet of paper now — to write on, to draw on, and to crumple, even, should she feel the need. The fact that her life was now forever confined to the Mortal World was a rather disheartening thought, but either way she was determined not to dwell on it. Always a conscientious student, Chihiro threw herself into her work, trying to convince herself that she would have a successful life here without her friends.

* * *

The years had passed slowly, so slowly, for Haku. At first, when he had been freed from Yubaba's curse, he had been ecstatic: a fog had been lifted from his mind, and suddenly he recalled his old friends, acquaintances, and family with clarity. He had been so preoccupied with seeing them again that the past had swept him off his feet. It had almost overpowered him when his memories came rushing back, and it was in that haze he let Chihiro go, promising to see her again. And as soon as she had left, he had rushed off to reunite with everyone he had known, and had let the whole Spirit World know of the return of Kohaku N. in his full glory. But after a year of happiness, Haku soon found himself tiring of the inane reunions, and began to wish for Chihiro's presence. At this point he returned to the Bath House and attempted to cross the dry river bed. But to no avail. For an unknown reason, the way to Chihiro and her world was closed. But that wasn't important. He had promised to see her again, so he would. For months he waited, hypothesizing — perhaps the Winter Solstice, the most spiritual day in the year, would open the door. Curled on the floor he waited, his tail twitching as he tried to rest.

Slowly, slowly the days passed as Haku waited, staring emptily across the river bed. Waiting for Chihiro to return or for the winter solstice to finally unlock the gates and allow him to cross. He didn't quite know how time passed in the Mortal World. It was bound to be different, but either way it had been quite a long time. Didn't she miss him? Or had she gone on with her life? Forgotten the wondrous times she'd had here? Did she have a husband? Kids even? With a growl, he bolted upright. She'd better not. Humans were notoriously unfaithful, but Chihiro was different. She would wait for him. Just as he was waiting for her now, alone. Well, almost alone. Behind him came a smattering of footfalls, and with a deep, dangerous growl he turned on whoever was striding purposefully toward him.

"Haku! Watch yourself, dragon boy! Just 'cause _you_ don't work for Yubaba anymore _doesn't_ mean you can try to dismember one of her employees!" Behind him stood Lin, somehow managing to look down upon him even when he was in _dragon_ form, about to start one of her famous-tongue lashings. And in her hands was a steaming bowl of Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. With a growl, his stomach promptly reminded him that he, too, had to eat, though it's scolding was promptly interrupted by Lin. "Haku! Why didn't you take good care of yourself! Honestly! A dragon, letting him pine away! You're such a blockhead. Honestly. You don't deserve your magical powers, you overgrown fish!.." With a playful grin, Haku transformed back into a human, snatched the bowl from Lin and scarfed it down in under a minute while the insults continued to swirl around him.

Finally, he smiled placating at her and stated calmly, "Lin, you have not changed a bit. Tell me, how did you know I was here?"

Lin stared at him, flummoxed; she obviously had not been expecting him to interrupt her. He never had before. Instead, he'd simply walk away, as if she were beneath his notice. "I….I….. Yubaba had said that there was a great power outside of the bath house, and she had suggested that an employee bring a peace offering to it and see if it was the reason why the bath house had been having less custom than usual."

"Less custom? So, Yubaba thought I was the reason why she has fewer customers than usual? Interesting."

"Easy for you to say," Lin grouched. "You weren't here last year when Yubaba threw a tremendous fit because even the Winter Solstice Celebration was a flop. She took it out on the staff too…", Lin shivered, Yubaba had been in a foul mood and had no compunctions against using magic on her staff.

Haku snarled, a disconcertingly feral expression on his human face. "Yubaba had no right", he spat. Then he fixed his piercing eyes on Lin. "Your fellow employees forced you to meet the "great power" outside the bath house? I'm not surprised- they're quite cowardly when they put their mind to it."

With a grin, Lin visibly relaxed. Then she furrowed her brows, tilting her head belligerently. "Haku, if you aren't the reason why we have fewer customers, what is?"

Haku turned to face the empty river, staring off into what he now knew was the unreachable human world. "I don't know. I would guess you have fewer customers because this path between worlds has shut, but I don't know why such a thing would have happened. And I intend to find out."

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _This is my first Spirited Away fanfiction! Please review it! I would love some feedback. Criticism, praise, comments - all are welcome._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A New Start**

 _Disclaimer: Clearly, unsurprisingly, I do not own Spirited Away._

Texas was so _hot_. Chihiro's first thought upon leaving the cool, air-conditioned airport as she struggled with the weight of her luggage. Why her mom had decided to be cheap and try to pack as much as they could in their personal luggage instead of letting the movers haul it, especially with the company was paying, was beyond her.

"Mom", she groaned, "where's our car? I want air conditioning. I'm tired of walking through the parking lot"

Amusingly enough, her Father took up her complaint. He was carrying just as many bags as she was, but unlike her, sweat was pouring off him. He was sweating like a pig. Not that she would ever tell him why he and mom had suddenly gained so much weight, had a strong aversion to pork, and hatred for taking short cuts. "Honey", he complained, in a tone much whinier than Chihiro's, "how much further?"

With a long-suffering sigh, Chihiro's mother, Yukko, futily clicked car keys again. "I'm sorry, dears. The company car should be nearby, but I can't seem to find it!" Then, as if to prove her wrong, the car beeped.

The endless drive to her new home was uneventful and punctuated by her father's comments of how _big_ Texas was, which turn was he supposed to take, and if they had any more of that delicious "Barbecue". Chihiro shut her ears to the mindless prattle, and instead despaired as to what her new life here would be like, without any chance of seeing her true friends again.

When they finally pulled up to their new house, Chihiro's first impression was the sheer _size_. Her new house was _huge_ and amazing. The impression lasted for 10 awestruck seconds - the time it took for her father to say, "Well this is going to be our home for the next 2 months. And wow, it's a dump."

When she actually turned to look hard at her new home, she realized it was extremely run down. Compared to their house In Japan, it was a mess. In her room there was a hole in the wall and she could feel a gentle breeze through the broken windows. They had left their cozy apartment behind for _this_?

With a heavy heart, Chihiro curled up in her bed and shut her eyes against the empty room, her worst fears realized. Her life was falling apart, and there was no longer any escape.

However, when she awoke the next morning to sunlight slanting through her broken window, she discovered a new reason to live crowded around her bed. Balls of soot with bright eyes squeaked happily around her, piling atop one another to get closer to her. Happiness filled Chihiro's heart, and for the first time in a long time she knew there was hope.

* * *

Haku sat, meditating upon why the Way to the Mortal World was closed. It was quite a conundrum. Who would be motivated to do so? How would they have accomplished it? However, his pensive mood was rudely shattered by Yubaba's angry screech.

"Haku! How dare you shut the portal to the Mortal World! My poor customers! Now they can't receive their proper care!" Yubaba fixed her bulging eyes upon Haku, her hair frizzing uncontrollably from her towering rage.

With a long suffering sigh, Haku stood and faced the witch with a calm, placid demeanour. "Yubaba, do you really think that I would close the Way to the Mortal World?"

"You would if it kept your girlfriend safe from me! You know how I hate those people who manage to destroy their contract! Not to mention she destroyed yours as well! You just wanted to keep your girlfriend safe, and don't deny it! You two obviously had something going on!"

Haku flushed a faint pink but stood resolute. "Chihiro is not my girlfriend. And even if I wanted to, I could not close the door between worlds. You yourself tested my magical powers. I am only able to Spell Cast, albeit powerfully, and Shape Change. No Travellers have existed in over a thousand years. I could not have shut the Way."

Slowly, slowly Yubaba deflated. Haku was an impertinent know-it-all of a past apprentice, but he was right and she knew it. Her anger gone, she asked _almost_ politely, "well then Haku, why do you think the Way is closed?"

"I would assume a Traveller has closed it. Who and why though, are interesting questions". Suddenly, he froze, as if sensing something in the distance. "Ready yourself, Yubaba. Something powerful is coming." He turned his sharp dragon eyes toward the East, squinting into the distance. Then, he relaxed with a sigh. "It is only the Radish Spirit", he said. "Perhaps he would know why the Way is closed."

As the Radish Spirit waddled closer, Haku could tell something was different about him. No longer were his eyes clouded and his gait slow. He moved with a purposeful stride - clearly something had caused the fog to leave his eyes. Now they held nothing but the steely glint of determination. When the Radish Spirit was two feet away from Yubaba and Haku, he simply stood there, waiting. Respectfully, Haku bowed, inciting a bow in response from the Radish Spirit and a snort from Yubaba.

"You didn't bow to me when I came up, you overgrown lizard", she complained.

Ignoring Yubaba, Haku asked the Radish Spirit in a level voice, "Why are you here, O Spirit, and how is it that you look so changed?"

The Radish Spirit gazed at him, long and steady. But Haku did not flinch nor avert his eyes until the Spirit had given his answer. "I am here because I owe a debt to the human from the bathhouse all those years ago. When I first met her, I knew she was special. When I helped her reach Yubaba's rooms…"

To this Yubaba gasped, taken aback at his treachery. "You, you, you showed her the way to my rooms? No wonder. I knew that little human could never get that far on her own."

"...and as soon as I finished helping her, I remembered my past. Why I was in such a pitiful state and had spent my years in the bathhouse of all places. Zeniba had stolen my golden seal from me and though I challenged her for it back, I lost the duel. Without its magic was no longer supporting me, Zeniba was able to overpower me, erase my memories, and curse me to wander throughout the Spirit World."

"ZENIBA?! Zeniba, my sister, did that to you?" Yubaba gasped. "Can't say I'm surprised…."

"Yes, Zeniba did. As soon as I remembered my past, I rushed away to take my revenge. However, in my absence, she has grown incredibly powerful. When I realized this, I decided it was best if I came back and thanked the little human girl who had freed me and given me purpose to my life again." He paused. "However, I hear that she is no longer here, and it seems she will never be able to come back."

At this, Haku tensed and seemed to enlarge in his eagerness to discover what truly had happened to Chihiro. In a controlled voice he asked, "Why will she never come back? It's not because she's an unfaithful human and has already found another, is it?" It hurt to say these words. Somehow voicing his fears had made it more real. Ignoring Yubaba's nasty smirk and barely-audible "I knew that boy was head-over-heels in love with that disgusting human. Disgraceful, really", he leant closer to the Radish Spirit in hopes of more information.

"You cannot see it?" The Radish Spirit seemed to be both surprised and disappointed. "And I had heard that Kohaku was a skilled sorcerer in his own right. Here, the Way has been closed. Anyone with a whit of magical sense should be able to tell that strong, powerful, ancient magic was worked here to shut this gate between the two worlds. Only a Traveller would have been able to do it. Try to sense the magic, Kohaku"

Surprised, Haku obeyed, closing his eyes and calming his mind. When he reopened his eyes, he could see around him threads of magic, pink magic - he had never heard of colorful magic before, only shades of gray. How strange. The pink strands formed an impenetrable wall over the dry riverbed, sealing the Way between the worlds.

The Radish Spirit was watching him with an admiring gleam in his eye. "Kohaku, I am impressed you were able to master this division of magic that quickly. Would you like to be my apprentice? Before you answer, keep in mind I shall not offer again. But I have a great knowledge of the magicks I wield and I would be willing to share it with you. "

However, Haku was already shaking his head before the Radish Spirit had finished speaking. "Thank you. But no. After my experiences of my last apprenticeship", he nodded significantly at Yubaba, "I don't think that I would want to take up another. Anyway, I have some business to attend to. Chihiro has been kept away from me by someone with _pink_ magic. I must find out who would have done that and extract my revenge."

Standing on the edge of the river before Yubaba and the Radish Spirit he slit his wrist. He then pressed the bleeding arm against the pink magic, careful not to spill a drop, and let the magic bond with his lifeblood. Then and there he promised he would exact his revenge on the mysterious Traveller, his magic as his witness.

After the oath was made, he sank exhausted to the ground, ignoring Yubaba's comments of "tacky and cheesy. That dragon doesn't have a bone of imagination in his body."

He was going to find the spirit with pink magic and kill them for locking Chihiro away in the human world. Or he would lose his magic.

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 _Hope you all liked it!_

 _Special thanks to all the reveiws! You all are the best! And to answer a question: this isn't going to be super romantic, but it is Chihiro and Haku. They may force me to raise the rating to T. I don't know yet._

 _Remember, press the little button to leave criticism, praise, or comments!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Dimensions and Decisions**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away._

Laughing wildly, Chihiro spun around in circles in her big, open Texas bedroom. It was incredible. Here she was, the furthest away from the Spirit World she had ever been, and she could still find friends. Find a reminder of the place where she truly belonged. She loved her parents - truly, she did - but they were humans. And because her parents were humans, it was as if they lived in a separate world removed from her own. They were humans, and, well, she didn't know what she was, but she didn't feel fully human anymore, not after discovering the Spirit World.

The soot balls joined her in her crazy dance, squeaking enthusiastically as they twirled around her on the floor. Chihiro took great care to avoid stepping on them; she didn't want her newfound friends to disappear into marks of soot on the floor.

Suddenly she tripped, panicked, and though she couldn't see it, her purple hairband shone brightly. She tumbled wildly through the air and ended up landing hard in a shallow lake. Groaning, she pulled herself up and gazed around her, amazed. The lake was crystal clear and in the tall ancient trees surrounding it were little nature spirits, kodama, staring fixedly at her and chittering. She asked, awestruck, "Where am I?"

And nearly jumped out of her skin when someone answered.

"Human." Someone - no, something - growled. Quaking, Chihiro slowly turned and saw behind her a huge white wolf staring at her. " Your kind do not belong here," it stated.

"I - I am sorry", Chihiro stuttered. "Please forgive me, great Spirit."

"You are cleverer than other of your kind. For that I shall not devour you. But you must leave before the monkeys find you. They will want to eat your flesh."

Chihiro nodded, comprehending the situation in a heartbeat. She was in the Spirit World. Again. And was in mortal danger. Again. She couldn't stay any longer here without fear of her life.

Bowing low to the spirit, Chihiro said softly, politely, "Thank you for helping me. But I am not sure how I got here. Perhaps you could help me find my way back to the human world?"

The wolf snarled. "I know nothing of magic, human, and nothing of your world either. Somehow you got here; do it again." And with that the spirit padded away, adding, "Stay away from the island in the center of the lake. It is dangerous."

Chihiro watched the unhelpful spirit walk away and bit back a groan of frustration. She really should have asked about the bathhouse - this was her chance to go home! But she sensed that further antagonizing the wolf spirit would not help her predicament. So instead of running up after the rapidly disappearing wolf, Chihiro seated herself at the edge of the lake and dangled her legs in the cool water, wondering why she was suddenly back where she belonged and how she'd return to where she didn't. Though she was in the Spirit World, it was clear that here she was unwanted; here was not her beloved bathhouse and Haku; here it was dangerous. Flesh-eating monkeys did not seem like good company for a sixteen-year old human girl to keep. At the thought her lips quirked into a smile; what would her mother say if she could see her daughter now? You should have eaten well before leaving this dimension - who knows what they'll feed you?

She was still dabbling her feet in the water when she heard the chattering of the kodama cease. Immediately she looked up and began to back away, frightened. Approaching her were at least twenty monkey spirits with glowing red eyes.

"Human." One of them intoned. "Do not be afraid. We are going to eat you to gain your strength."

"No!" She gasped. "You can't! I won't let you!" She began swimming towards the center island in the desperate hope that the monkeys wouldn't dare follow. However, when she risked a look back, she saw that they were. Her heart was in her throat; she was afraid that any second a demonic monkey would catch her foot, drag her back to land, and messily devour her. Realizing the monkeys were able to wade in the shallower water, Chihiro paddled into the deeper water, hoping that they couldn't actually swim. She was still able to stand, but the monkeys, being shorter, would not. She was inadvertently drawing very, very near the island which the wolf had warned her to avoid.

When she was within arm's reach of the island, she tripped on a submerged tree root. Chihiro fell forward and then caught herself, inches away from touching the island. She remained frozen in that position, afraid the slightest movement would unbalance her, until she noticed verdant and lush greenery was blooming rapidly before her very eyes. Surprised, Chihiro looked up to see an elk with a human's face walking towards her. She stared into his mesmerizing eyes and heard his deep, resonant voice whisper, "May you always find a way home". With that he kissed her forehead. Again her hairband flashed unnoticed, and when she came to she realized she was in her family's apartment. Lying on the floor and soaking wet.

"Chihiro!" Her mother cried from downstairs. "You're going to be late for your first day of school!"

"Darn it." Chihiro said, not rising from the floor. "I survived the Spirit World again, but now I'm late for my first day of school." She sighed. "Well, I had best go take shower."

But before she did, she penned a quick note and gave it to the soot balls, saying, "Please deliver this to Kohaku." When they chirped happily, she figured they'd understood and so left to take a hot shower. Haku would explain her excursion to the Spirit World. He would have the answers.

* * *

With a snort, Yubaba called Lin and gestured for her to pick up the unconscious Haku and return him to the bathhouse.

However, the Radish Spirit had other plans. In a flash he grabbed Haku's pale hand and teleported away, leaving a surprised Lin and shocked Yubaba behind, staring at where Haku had lain.

….

When Haku came to, he was lying on a black couch in a darkened room smelling of sweet herbs. He lay there silently, methodically cataloguing the plants hanging from the ceiling and any other potential threats in the unknown situation.

"Kohaku". A quiet voice, which Haku quickly catalogued as the Radish Spirit's, said. "I know you can hear me." Haku sighed and sat up, giving the room a more thorough appraisal in both the physical and magical sense. It was dark as night, lit only by the small candle the Radish Spirit held in his hands. The chamber thrummed with magic; it was clear a multitude of spells and charms had been cast here. "And I can see you evaluating my abode, Kohaku. Please do stop being so rude. I can assure you that it is well protected - this room is Concealed, exists somewhere between the Mortal and Spirit World, and none know of its existence save for myself."

Haku sighed once more. "What do you want, Radish Spirit?"

"I want to propose a deal to you. I can tell you how to see your human again, if….."

"If?" Against his will, Haku was fascinated by the Radish Spirit's offer; he had to see Chihiro again.

The Radish Spirit's voice was overlaid with quiet menace. "If you steal Zeniba's golden seal back for me."

At the thought, Haku turned deathly pale. He had almost died before when he had stolen the golden seal for Yubaba. It would be difficult to see Chihiro again if he was dead. "I don't know…" he began weakly.

The Radish Spirit continued though, as if Haku had never interrupted. "Think about it, Kohaku. You did it before, you could do it again. And no one else could help you find your human again as I could. With the knowledge I possess, you could even transform her into a spirit who could share eternity with you. Here in this room, I have the finest collection of knowledge in both worlds." He paused to gesture to the walls laden with musty tomes. Then he added persuasively, "Zeniba stole the seal from me first. You're really only returning it to its rightful owner, Kohaku."

"Radish Spirit, I appreciate your generous offer. However, I cannot make my decision quite yet."

The Radish Spirit replied suavely, "I understand if you need a bit more time to think over my proposition, Kohaku. I give you three days to decide." He pressed a robin-blue egg into his hands. "When you decide to take me up on my offer, simply throw this egg against the ground. It shall immediately summon you to my side, so be sure to already have supplies on hand. We would assail Zeniba's home shortly thereafter."

Haku nodded, his eyes hard and his face unreadable. Then he took the robin egg and said, polite and restrained, "Would you please show me out? I must ask for my friend's advice."

The Radish Spirit accordingly made a sign and a passage opened, outside of which Haku could see the clear sky. He immediately changed into his dragon form and flew off into night.

The Radish Spirit watched him go. As Haku disappeared from sight, he sighed. "There goes my best chance of stealing Zeniba's golden seal. But," he added to himself, "I know he will come back. Pure love always finds a way. Though Zeniba and I didn't." Still sighing to himself, the Radish Spirit waddled back into his abode and settled down for the long wait. "He and the human girl are lucky to have each other."

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 _Hello again! I hope you all liked this chapter…. I know updates are slow and sporadic. My fault :( I hate SAT prep. Blame that, actually. And summer homework :P_

 _Anyways, please tell me what you think! I always appreciate it!_


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